The Honest Challenges with Single Parent Travel

Let’s be real, there are things about travelling alone with kids that can be off-putting:

• You have to do EVERYTHING. There’s no second pair of hands. That means packing, entertaining, comforting, navigating, booking, and occasionally lugging multiple suitcases while balancing a screaming child on your hip.
• Single supplement costs sting. This drives me mad! Many holiday packages still cater to two adults, and when you’re just one, it can feel like you’re penalised. This especially frustrates me when it comes to ‘free child places’, where you need two adults (or two kids) to be eligible.
• It can sometimes feel a little lonely. Especially if you can’t find other adults to chat to, or when everyone else seems to be in couples or families.

But here’s the thing – with the right mindset and a bit of planning, these challenges are 100% manageable. And trust me – the memories made for both you and your children are absolutely worth it!

What to Look for in a Single Parent Friendly Hotel

• Family rooms or apartments with kitchenettes if food isn’t included (a lifesaver for picky eaters or early risers).

• Safe, central locations for peace of mind.

• All-inclusive deals – less planning, more relaxing!

• Pools with shallow ends or splash areas.

• On-site kids’ clubs (more on that further down!)

Tip: Trust your gut when reading reviews – other parents’ insights are golden.

My Top Tips for Successful Single Parent Travel

1. Choose your destination wisely.
   Go for child-friendly resorts or towns where everything is close by. A shorter flight might also save your sanity if you’ve got younger kids.
2. Book all-inclusive where possible.
   No cooking, no budgeting for every single meal, and usually plenty of activities and entertainment included. One less thing to worry about!
3. Be flexible with routines.
   If you’re able to mirror home routines (meal times, naps, bedtimes), it may reduce overwhelm and meltdowns. But give yourself grace if it all goes off track. Personally, we just scrap any sort of routine altogether and this works for us – it’s my holiday too.
4. Don’t overpack.
   Only bring what you can carry yourself. If in doubt, leave it out, because it doesn’t matter how many times kids insist they will tote their new Marvel suitcase ‘all by themselves’ – you’ll likely end up laden with it at some point. We’ve actually travelled hand-luggage only on our last few trips and we managed to have everything we needed.
5. Be open to help.
   Whether it’s kind strangers helping lift a buggy or a kids’ club for an hour of downtime – say yes. You’re still human. My son still talks about when the kind local in Morocco pushed him on the luggage trolley for me!

Using Kids’ Clubs

I know some parents feel a bit unsure about hotel kids’ clubs, and I completely understand the hesitation – I used to be the same. We’re handing over our most precious person(s) to strangers in a foreign place. That’s not something any of us take lightly, but as a solo parent, kids’ clubs have genuinely been a game-changer for me.

We’ve only ever had positive experiences so far. I always do my research beforehand – reading reviews specifically about the kids’ club, looking into safety, activities, and how the staff engage with the children. Then, once we arrive, I also check it out in person before booking my son in. I meet the staff, see the space, and trust my instincts.

And the result? He absolutely loves them. They’re a fun, safe, and stimulating environment for him to play in, make new friends, and escape the heat in the middle of the day. He often comes out with a new little crew that he’ll then play with in the pool, so that’s another added bonus!

And for me? It means a rare moment to breathe. I can relax by the pool, read more than two pages of a book, and just be. No guilt. Just balance.